Cold or Hot Fall Pasta Salad

Thanksgiving is almost here! I, for one, am very excited about this fact. The series of events leading up to Thanksgiving are almost as fun as the big day itself! Today happens to be our annual Thanksgiving feast at work. Considering there is only one other Veggie in my workplace, I have been asked a lot of questions regarding the dish I will bring to this event. At first, I was not 100% sure myself. While I can whip up any number of sides, the pressure is on to make a tasty, versatile autumn dish that can also be easily transported. This past weekend I experimented with a fall pasta recipe that incorporates seasonal veggies fresh from my local farmer’s market along with some whole grain goodness. My experiment was a big success! I created an autumn pasta that is good served hot or cold. For my work event, it will be served cold as I do not have a good way to keep it warm before we eat. This recipe incorporates roasted butternut squash with crisp green beans, crunchy slivered almonds, and sweet cranberries. My creamy chickpea based sauce pulls all the flavors together and coats them with a dreamy dressing that balances the wide variety of fall flavors. I was especially pleased with this recipe because it works great for me as a main dish but is perfect for a side as well! Since this is a Thanksgiving post, I wanted to share with you a very special someone. Her name is Martha, and she totally rocks! Martha is the turkey I adopted this year from Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt A Turkey project. Farm Sanctuary rescues animals and provides care for them at their sanctuaries that are located in both California and New York. They are also advocates for turkeys and other farm animals everywhere. I get asked quite often what I do for Thanksgiving since I don’t eat turkey, and the answer seems rather silly (although I never mind answering). I eat anything that doesn’t come from an animal! Literally! I love all foods! Then I also adopt an adorable fowl like Ms. Martha, to know I helped save her from being someone’s meal this year makes all the ingredient reading and restaurant question asking worth it. Cheers to you Martha!

Turn oven to 380 degrees. Place cubed butternut squash in a large mixing bowl and add 2 tbs olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss until squash is evenly coated.

Spread butternut squash onto a cookie sheet and place in oven for 30 minutes.

While squash is cooking, boil fresh cut green beans in sauce pan with salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool as well.

Boil fusilli pasta as directed. Again, set aside to cool.

After the butternut squash has been in the oven for 30 minutes, increase oven to 425 and cook for 10 more minutes. Pull out of oven and set aside to let cool.

As you wait on everything to cool off. Add all of the sauce ingredients except the ½ c water to a blender. You want a consistency of a standard smoothie. Not so thick you couldn’t slurp it through a straw but not so thin that it is like water. Slowly add the water until you reach this consistency. If you use up all the water and it is still too thick, I recommend adding a few splashes of nondairy milk until you get the right texture. Adding too much water may take away from the richness of the sauce.

Now, taste the sauce. You want it to be a little bit more salty than you prefer. Since the sauce is spread out over all the ingredients it will balance out. If it needs more salt, either add more miso paste or a few more dashes of salt itself.

Once your ingredients are all cool and your sauce is taste test approved, mix everything together in a mixing bowl. Place in a serving dish and put in the fridge until cooled through, at least an hour.

Hot Option: If you choose to make this warm, do not wait for all of your ingredients to cool. Make the sauce while the squash is cooking, but after you boil your green beans and fusilli pasta. Mix ingredients together while still hot (carefully) then add to a casserole dish and place in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until fully heated through. Serve immediately.

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Oops how did this picture get here?……welp since it made it’s way on the page everyone say hi to Zeus! Ignore his tubby belly as he is on steroids and has packed on a few holiday pounds! He is a big advocate of Hot or Cold Fall Pasta and is always there to lend a helping paw in the kitchen! Thanks Zeus!